5B, CYPRUSTony, RT9T, will be active as 5B4ALB between July 6-16th. He will also join the P3N team during the IARU HF World Championship (July 12-13th). QSL 5B4ALB only direct via RT9T.5W, SAMOA (Update)Operators Jacek/SP5EAQ and Marcin/SP5ES have received their Samoa callsign -- 5W0AF and 5W0AG, respectively. They will use their 5W0 callsign while waiting in Apia for transport to Tokelau (see OPDX.1158) and after their return back (total operations is about 5 day - early October and early November). QSL via their home callsigns.6M NEWS (Thailand)Champ, E21EIC, informs OPDX that the RAST has received special permission/license from the National Broadcasting and Telecommuni- cations Commission (NBTC) for 6 meters again this year. Last activity was 4 years ago. This year the NBTC gave special permission to all HAMs in Thailand so they can operate on 6 meters. Back 4 years ago, the NBTC only gave permission to club stations to operate. This year they are allowing them to operate a total of 48 hours during July 19-20th, 2014 (during the CQWW VHF Contest). If there are any HF License stations in Thailand who would like to operate on 6m, send a copy of your license to the RAST's Secretary via E-mail to: e21eic@gmail.com
ADDED NOTES: Champ also mentions other changes will be coming within 30 days, including new regulations (By Thai Law). Some of the changes mentioned for Thai HAMs are:

1. 2M. 144-146.52. 6M 50-54 (Secondary); those who have HF license can operate.3. VHF license can operate on 10M.4. Will open an Advance license and allow to operate up to 1000w.5. 2M license will allow up to 60w. Club station 100w.6. Allow more club stations and contest callsigns.7. Those who do not have a license and would like to operate can go to operate at any club station.8. Reissued callsigns, if any callsign has expired for 2 year.9. Can use radio HF+50 legally; also amplifier.10. No Morse send test, only received test.

ASIA PACIFIC DX CONVENTION 2014Fellow DXers and Contesters are cordially invited to attend the Asia Pacific DX Convention 2014 in Osaka, Japan, which will take place November 14-16th, 2014.
In addition to their usual presentations on recent DXpeditions, technical sessions, DX dinners and so forth, this convention offers something special. Japan is where most of the amateur radio equipment is developed, and you will have the opportunity to join a tour to the Icom factory, participate in a technical session led by the Icom HF radio design team, and more.
And don't forget, all of the programs at APDXC are conducted in English! They appreciate your introducing this convention to your DX/Contest club members. For more details, please visit the APDXC Web site at:

For convention updates, check their Web site often, or send an E-mail to subscribe to the APDXC newsletter. They look forward to welcoming you at the APDXC in Osaka, Japan...... APDXC Committee/JA3USAC5, THE GAMBIAOperators Takao/JE1WVQ and Takasi/JA1UII have been active as C5JA and C5II, respectively, since July 3rd. They will be on the air until July 9th and are operating from the Senegambia Beach Hotel. Activity has been on the HF bands, mainly 20/17/15m using CW and SSB. QSL via their home callsigns.C6, BAHAMASOperators XYL Marilyn/WM2W and Terry/N0TW will be active as C6AMW and C6ATW, respectively, from the Bahamas between August 1-4th. They are there for the 10-10 Summer QSO Party. QSL via N0TW.C9, MOZAMBIQUEDaniel, ZS6JR, will once again be active as C91JR from the coastal resort of Bilene until July 12th. Activity will be holiday style and operating mostly RTTY or PSK with 100 watts into a vertical antenna. QSL via GI4FUM. Look for more details and updates on:

For the first time in the last eight years there will be a second CTU offered in the USA during 2014. CTU Centennial will occur on Thursday, July 17, 2014, in Hartford, CT, as part of the ARRL Centennial celebration.Centennial Contest University - Hartford, CT.Facilitator: Tim Duffy, K3LR - Contest University ChairmanSpeakers:"Contesting Hints & Kinks" - Ward Silver, N0AX"Ergonomics for Contest Stations" - Doug Grant, K1DG"Low Band Receiving Antennas for Smaller Lots" - Frank Donovan W3LPL"Multi Operator Contest Planning" - Tim Duffy, K3LR"Tips for Being a Better Single Operator" - Randy Thompson, K5ZD"The Essentials of RTTY Contesting" - Dennis Egan, W1UE

More information and registration (the class is filling up fast) for CTU Centennial 2014 is available here:

Registration deadline is July 7, 2014.EL, LIBERIAOperators Mahmoud/EL2CE, Dickson/EL2DT and Richmond/EL2BG will be active as EL2BEN during the IARU HF Championship Contest (July 12-13th). This is a special callsign to honor the LRAA's past President, Ben, EL2BA. QSL direct only to: I. Richmond W.K. Harding, 6141 Clifton Ave. Ext, Jacksonville, FL 32211, USA.EUROPEAN RADIO TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP 2014 [ERTC 2014] Two Press ReleasesPress Release June 24th:SPECIAL EVENT STATION OF3ERTC ACTIVE STARTING THIS WEEKEND -YOTA (Youngsters On The Air) is a youth movement inviting fifteen European national youth teams to a selected rotating EU location every year to get together, learn from each other and experience various aspects of Amateur Radio through meaningful and entertaining concepts emphasizing social, radio communication and technology skills. OF3ERTC is a special event Amateur Radio station active in conjunction with ERTC 2014 from July 18-20th, while OH2YOTA will be active from the actual event site in Virrat, Finland starting July 16th.
ERTC is a voice communication (VoIP) contest where two-member national youth teams try to make a maximum number of contacts with a maximum number of countries within a defined time period. ERTC uses a Virtual Amateur Radio platform (HamSphere) where amateur radio-like operating is conducted on the Internet with amateur radio-like bands and operating features such as current radio propagation together with beam antennas and amplifiers plus an online logbook, awards and QSLing backed up with learning material and an exam free entry gate. All this makes HamSphere a highly suitable application to learn about real Amateur Radio and help youth to discover Amateur Radio in their regular hangout, the Internet. See:

PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES -- Belgium (ON), Bulgaria (LZ), Croatia (9A), Czech Republic (OK), Estonia (ES), Finland (OH), Italy (I), Lithuania (LY), Netherlands (PA), Poland (SP), Romania (YO), Slovakia (OM), Sweden (SM), United Kingdom (G) and Spain (EA). These country-teams are currently active in Virtual World Amateur Radio practicing and preparing for their trip to Finland. Also, some invited Exhibition Teams will participate in the event over the Internet.
This weekend's OF3ERTC combo activity is courtesy of OH1RX, OH2BCI, OH2BH, OH2MM, OH2PM, OH2UA and OH6KZP on Real Amateur Radio while OH9MM will activate OF3ERTC on HamSphere. QSL OF3ERTC via OH2BH.Press Release July, 3rdEUROPEAN TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (ERTC) 2014 --- OF3ERTCMany were probably wondering what last weekend's Special Event station OF3ERTC was all about. This weekend OF3ERTC will again hit the airwaves through the efforts of Pertti, OH2PM and Rami, OHJ2BCI on frequencies detailed in the OF3ERTC QRZ.com listing. www.qrz.com/db/of3ertc Also, OF3ERTC will take part in the IARU HF World Championship with Raimo, OH2BCI, former SRAL President, at the helm. This will be an addition to the OH2HQ group. Similarly, it is very likely that an OH0W multiplier will be activated during the IARU weekend.
ERTC is a Virtual World version of WRTC - to be held one week after the Boston event. Almost one-hundred youngsters will travel to Virrat, Finland, to compete under WRTC-like rules with their QSOs to all corners of the world to be made with real people on Virtual Amateur Radio bands! The event is financed by the European Union and the International Amateur Radio Union, Region 1.
Many real stations are also scheduled to enter this ground breaking event, among them Tim Duffy, K3LR who will bring his "real virtual" team to participate in ERTC 2014 as an "Exhibition Team". Make sure you can see the distinction between "real" and "virtual" and their variants "virtual- real" and "real-virtual".
You can keep up with the event as it evolves on QRZ.com. More details will be released soon about this unique virtual concept, involving thousands of soon-to-be hams all over the world. The current population on used virtual platform is passed 30,000.FO, FRENCH POLYNESIAHeinz, DF1YP, will once again be active as FO/DF1YP from Moorea Island (OC-046, WLOTA 0465) between September 12th and October 8th. Activity will be holiday style mainly on 20 meters on SSB. QSL via his home callsign, direct or by the Bureau.II0, ITALYMembers representing the Associazione Radioamatori Italiani (ARI), the Italian Headquarter team, will be active as II0HQ in the IARU HF World Championship, from 1200z on July 12th, until 1159z on July 13th. QSL via the Bureau or LoTW.IOTA NEWSAF-040. Markus, DJ4EL, will be active as 5Z4/DJ4EL from Lamu Island, Kenya, between October 4-19th. Activity will be on 40-10 meters using SSB. QSL via his home callsign, direct or by the Bureau. QSL also via the LoTW.AS-081. Operators Sung/HL5YI, Ho-Jong/DS5ACV, Rho/DS5BRE, Kim/DS5DNO and Tae-Hong/DS5QLJ will be active as homecall/p from Kadok Island during the RSGB IOTA Contest (July 26-27th) as a High- Power/24-HRS entry. QSL via their home callsigns, by the Bureau, direct or LoTW.EU-016. Tom, 9A2CU, who lives in the city of Zagreb, the capital city of Croatia, is currently operating from the Island of Hvar in the Adriatic Sea (WW Loc. JN83HE and IOCA CI-028) and will stay there approximately until mid-July. He states, "I'm trying to be active on HF bands as the time permits (mostly CW on 40, 20 and 15 meters, depending on propagation conditions, mainly after 1900 UTC)." Operations is good towards the "Islands Of Croatia Award" (IOCA). Visit his Web page for more details and updates at:

EU-057. Joachim, DL5KUD, will once again be active from Ruegen Island (O-07 for the German Islands Award) during the RSGB IOTA Contest (July 26-27th) as a Single-Op/CW/12-HRS/Low-Power entry. QSL via DL5KUD, by the Bureau or OQRS.EU-146. Louis, PA0LCE, and members of the UBA/WRC will be active as PF14A from Schouwen Duiveland, Netherlands, during the RSGB IOTA Contest (July 26-27th) as a Multi-op entry. QSL via ON4ON.EU-162. Operators RZ1ZZ, RA1ZZ, UA1ZZ, UA1ZKI, RD1A, R1AZ, RA3AV, RK3AW, RZ5D, RT2D, R3LA, RW3QNZ, RX3QP, RG3K and UA3QPA will be active as RI1N from the Glov Island, European Russia, during the RSGB IOTA Contest (July 26-27th) as a Multi-Op/ DXpedition/24-HRS/High-Power entry. QSL via RT2D.NA-069. Jens-Christian, DL2RMM, will be active as K2RMM/4 from Sanibel Island, Florida, between July 20th and August 1st. Activity will include the RSGB IOTA Contest (July 26-27th). QSL via DL2RMM only.NA-083. Art, NN7A, will operate as NN7A/4 from Chincoteague Island between July 7-13th. Activity will be all CW and holiday style running 100 watts into a wire and vertical antennas. QSL via NN7A, direct or by the Bureau.NA-083. Carroll, KS4TL, will be active as K4P from Chincoteague Island during the RSGB IOTA Contest (July 26-27th) as a Single-Op/ Island entry. This is a special event station in honor of the Chincoteague's 89th Annual Pony Swim, July 21st- August 4th. QSL via KS4TL.NA-092. Operators Ron/K5HM and Matt/K5NGU will be active as N5T from Mustang Island (USI TX-011S, Nueces County, Texas) during the RSGB IOTA Contest (July 26-27th) as a Multi-Op/Island entry. QSL via N5T.NEW IOTAs ANNOUNCEDSeveral sources are reporting that 11 new IOTAs have been announced to coincide with the 50th anniversary IOTA con- vention. They are:

N2, UNITED STATES (Special Event)The Burlington County Radio Club (K2TD) will operate the Emilio Carranza Memorial special event station N2M from 1200z, July 7th, through 2200z, July 13th. The event commemorates Mexican aviator Captain Carranza's goodwill mission to New York City. During his return flight to Mexico, his plane crashed into the Pine Barrens of New Jersey during a furious electrical storm on July 12, 1928.
The American Legion has held a memorial service at the crash site every July 11th. Full details are available at

Activity will be on 40-10 meters (mainly QRV on 20/17m CW) operating CW and SSB using LW/DP and barefoot. QSL via his home callsign JJ2NYT.TA, TURKEYJun, OE1ZKC/JH4RHF, will be active as TA7KA from the TRAC Club Station in Trabzon during the CQWW DX CW Contest (November 29-30th) as a Single-Op/All-Band entry. QSL via OE1ZKC. He may possibly sign TA7/OE1ZKC before the contest.V5, NAMIBIABy the time you read this, a German team will be active from Namibia using their own callsigns (V5/homecall) and preparing to activate the callsign V55HQ in the IARU HF World Championship (July 12-13th). Operators will be active until July 15th, and will be active on the following modes:

Martin, V51W, is the host and team leader of V55HQ, along with other team members Gunter/V51WH, Gerd/V51GB, Werner/V51JP, Andrew/V51YJ and Klaus/V51L. QSL V55HQ via DL9NDS, by the Bureau or direct (OQRS ClubLog).VP9, BERMUDA (Update)Members of the Radio Society of Bermuda will activate VP9HQ in the IARU HF World Championship (July 12-13th). QSL via OH1VR. Operators mentioned are Seppo/OH1VR, Oliver/W6NV and Denny/KX7M.XR0, EASTER ISLANDOperators Cristian/CE2WTF and Manuel/CE2NTT will be active as XR0YNTT from Isla de Pascua (SA-001) between August 2-3rd. Activity will be on 40-6 meters using SSB. Look for details and updates on: